ENGLISH INTRODUCTION

"Notes on the Art of Interpretation" is an important new
contribution to a traditional class of Buddhist philosophical
literature which grapples with a difficult question that every
great religion must address: when are the words of the Teacher
meant to be taken literally, and when are they to be
interpreted--when are they meant only figuratively?

The present discussion of this question is a book which nearly
never saw publication.  It is based on a series of transcripts and
tape recordings made during teachings delivered on the art of
interpretation by the Abbot Emeritus of Sera Jey Tibetan Monastic
University: Serjey Kensur Rinpoche, Geshe Lobsang Wangchuk.

Kensur Rinpoche passed away over 20 years ago, and it is an
indication of his great insight into this subject that a group of
his students, eminent scholars in their own right, have worked
together to bring out this volume.  Without their efforts, these
unique teachings would have been lost to future generations; the
text is, then, an unexpected treasure to the world.


About the Author

The opening section of "Notes on the Art of Interpretation"
describes the exemplary life of its author, Serjey Kensur Rinpoche,
Geshe Lobsang Wangchuk.  Here again we are fortunate that his
surviving disciples have collaborated to present a vivid and
personal account of the rigors that Kensur Rinpoche underwent in
his own long studies to acquire a knowledge of the traditional
classics of Buddhism, and of his selfless efforts to preserve and
transmit this knowledge during the difficult years following the
invasion of Tibet.

The Rinpoche was born near the abbey of Tikle Kardze in Kham,
eastern Tibet, in 1901.  At the age of seven he entered this
monastery and began his study of the traditional Buddhist
curriculum, starting with reading, writing, and the memorization of
the important basic texts.

He showed an extraordinary aptitude even at this early age, and
before long had committed over a dozen major works to memory.  He
displayed a natural interest in the subject of vowed morality and,
after studies in this subject, took the vows of a novice monk and
kept them assiduously.

At 15 years of age, Rinpoche followed the footsteps of many
previous generations of Tibetan Buddhist sages and undertook the
long and difficult journey to Lhasa, the national capital, in order
to pursue higher religious studies at one of the country's three
great seats of spiritual learning.

Here Rinpoche entered the Trehor College of Sera Jey Monastic
University.  Again he was an exemplary student, closely following
the required course of study and public philosophical debate,
always respectful and attentive of his teachers, excelling in the
frequent examinations.

He stood for the Rikchung degree, marking some ten years of
successful philosophical studies, and was awarded the highest
marks.  His personal lifestyle was marked by simplicity and a
disregard for worldly distractions.

As he passed through the various levels of the traditional Buddhist
philosophical schools of ancient India, Rinpoche continued to
memorize volume upon volume of the original works, reciting them
late into the night until they were perfected in his mind.  Among
these works was the "Essence of Good Explanation" (Legs-bshad
snying-po), composed by Tsongkapa the Great, Lobsang Drakpa (rJe
Tzong-kha-pa bLo-bzang grags-pa), who lived in the 14th century. 
This text is considered the definitive treatment of the art of
interpretation, and is the basis for Rinpoche's explanation here.

In his 22nd year, Rinpoche took the vows of a full monk from His
Holiness the XIIIth Dalai Lama.  He gained a reputation for keeping
his vows faithfully, and before long had attracted students of his
own.  As the time approached for him to stand for his Rikchen
degree, which is taken several years prior to the coveted Geshe
degree, an incident occurred which typified Rinpoche's attitude
towards his religious studies.

In the sometimes intensely competitive atmosphere of the public
philosophical debates and advanced studies, Rinpoche and a
classmate had amassed nearly identical marks to qualify for the
highest position in the class.  The dean of the college came to the
two and proposed that they draw straws to decide the winner.  A
spirited discussion ensued in which each student endeavored to
convince the other one to accept first honors.  Rinpoche finally
prevailed, offering this once-in-a-lifetime honor to his fellow
student, and demonstrating that he had grasped the true intent of
his spiritual training.

In 1939, at the age of 38, Rinpoche completed his journey of some
two decades' study through the traditional course of the five great
subjects of ancient Buddhism.  He stood for the exhausting public
examinations required for the degree of Geshe--Master of
Buddhism--in its highest form, the Hlarampa.  The level of
understanding he displayed, under grueling questioning from the
country's leading scholars, was described as unprecedented.  He was
awarded the highest marks even among the Hlarampas.

As a Hlarampa Geshe, Rinpoche had now qualified for entrance to
Gyumey Tantric College, one of the two great institutions of the
country devoted solely to the highly advanced, secret teachings of
Buddhism.  Within a few years he was again awarded highest honors
in the traditional final examinations.

During the course of his studies, and throughout his life, Kensur
Rinpoche studied from and formed a deep relationship with the
leading religious teachers of his times.  These included, among
many others, His Holiness the XIIIth Dalai Lama; Dechen Nyingpo,
the great Pabongka Rinpoche; His Eminence Yongzin Gatri Lingtrul
Dorje Chang, Holder of the Throne of Ganden and Tutor to His
Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama; His Eminence Yongzin Trijang Dorje
Chang, Tutor to His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama; and His Holiness
the XIVth Dalai Lama himself.

Rinpoche excelled in his daily spiritual practice as well. 
Whatever principles of moral behavior and other spiritual knowledge
he was exposed to he immediately incorporated into his personal
life.  He succeeded in becoming spiritually self-controlled, humble
and meditatively quiet.  He strove to achieve the perfection of
satisfaction, with few material wants.  He watched his vows closely
and was frank and immediate in admitting the slightest moral
failures he might incur, strictly attending the bimonthly
confession ceremony for monks.

Kensur Rinpoche dedicated himself to preserving and passing on the
teachings and way of life of the ancient books with the same
devotion he had shown in mastering them.  Except for a few short
periods he taught others on a daily basis for over 50 years, and
this is considered his greatest contribution.

Rinpoche also gave his time and talents selflessly to the proper
administration of the monastic universities where he had studied. 
During his early forties he served as the dean of both Gyumey
Tantric College and Sera Jey Monastic University.  He upheld the
centuries-long traditions of spiritual study and debate among the
monks of these institutions with care and compassion.

In 1954, at the age of 53, Rinpoche was granted the rare honor of
being selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve as Abbot of
Sera Jey.  He worked hard to maintain the course of study and
physical facilities of the monastery, never complaining even in the
most difficult times, or when he was ill.

During this period he participated in the final Geshe examinations
of the young Dalai Lama.  When these tests were concluded, in 1959,
Rinpoche tendered his resignation (having completed a typical term)
and received His Holiness' blessing.  In the same year, he was
forced to flee Tibet during the Chinese invasion, and arrived in
India with tens of thousands of other Tibetans, as a refugee.

Nearly all the monk scholars who survived the invasion and flight
from Tibet were sent to a refugee camp at Buxaduar, in the steamy
jungles of northeast India.  Despite the debilitating heat, lack of
food, and frequent illness, Kensur Rinpoche gladly took it upon
himself to head the monastery again until the newly-appointed abbot
could make his own escape from Tibet.

At Buxaduar, Rinpoche redoubled his efforts to pass on the
knowledge he had gained.  The camp housed accomplished monks from
many different areas and monasteries of Tibet, and before long
large groups were attending even the most basic classes that he
taught, in order to benefit from his extraordinary insight.

The ordeal at the Buxaduar refugee camp lasted a full ten years,
and many of the inmates were lost to tuberculosis and other
diseases.  In 1969, the monks of Sera Jey moved to south India,
near Mysore, where a parcel of forested land was kindly presented
to them by the Government of India, for the construction of a new
monastic university, with additional land for farming.

Here Kensur Rinpoche continued a rigorous schedule of teaching,
giving instruction especially in many of the subjects of the secret
traditions of Buddhism.  His biography describes an important
vision he received in this regard.

In early 1979, Rinpoche made a number of comments to his immediate
students indicating that he might pass on before long.  He confided
to one disciple that he had experienced an extraordinary dream: a
great rock boulder was poised above Sera Jey Monastery, about to
crush it.  Rinpoche's immediate reaction was to stand between the
huge stone and the monastery, and he thrust out his arms to stop
it, knowing that he might well sacrifice his own life to save Sera
Jey.  And so he did.

Immediately after this dream, Rinpoche's health began to fail.  By
June of 1979 he was quite weak, and made his final efforts to
exhort the students and teachers to keep up a high level of study,
follow the traditional discipline, and take special care to respect
one another, especially their elders.

On September 21, 1979, Serjey Kensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang
Wangchuk gave the appearance of passing on to final peace,
displaying even in the moment of his death a number of
extraordinary signs that spoke of the high level of goodness and
knowledge he had reached.


About the text

"Notes on the Art of Interpretation" is actually a direct
commentary on the "Essence of Good Explanation" which, as mentioned
above, was composed by Je Tsongkapa some 500 years ago.  This root
text contains over 200 folios and is considered so important that
monk scholars who commit it to memory (and many do) are customarily
honored in public for their achievement.

The work first covers the traditional preliminaries such as
demonstrating the value of the subject to be discussed, and then
moves on to comment on the same section at the opening of Je
Tsongkapa's text.

The style of composition reflects Kensur Rinpoche's own strengths
as a textual scholar, logician, and Hlarampa Geshe with years of
experience in public philosophical debates.  he concentrates on
difficult passages in Je Tsongkapa's original, making important
notes on subtle printing errors of various editions, and often
inserting a dialectic analysis to resolve a thorny question, no
doubt drawing from his actual experiences in many hours late into
the night on the debating grounds of Lhasa.

The "Notes" next demonstrates that the question of what
pronouncements of the Teacher are figurative, and therefore need to
be interpreted, must naturally be resolved not only by reference to
the Buddha's own words, but also through the process of logical
reasoning, following the lead of the two great forefathers of the
ancient commentarial tradition: Master Asanga (þcþrya Asaþga) and
Arya Nagarjuna (þrya Nþgþrjuna).

In the sections that follow, controversial and seemingly
contradictory statements by the Buddha are excerpted and examined. 
What, for example, did the Teacher mean when he said that nothing
really exists?  Does this not contradict our direct, valid
experience?  And what did he mean when he said that things exist
only in word, only in thought?  Do we not observe objects that
exist independent of our conceptions of them?  What method can we
use to resolve such questions, and come to a correct and final
conclusion?

Even in our own times we see various interpretations of such
passages from the Buddhist classics.  They range from the
ridiculous, where a lack of real existence is taken to be
nothingness, and a justification for disregarding moral laws, on up
to quite subtle and partly correct approaches.  Such are the views
of the Chittamatra (Cittamþtra) or "Mind-Only" school of early
Buddhism, as presented by Master Asanga in the 4th Century.

Here Kensur Rinpoche follows Je Tsongkapa in making a presentation
of the important tenets of the Mind-Only tradition, and this is in
fact the point in the monastic curriculum where a student masters
this one of the four great ancient schools.  Positions of the
Mind-Only philosophers, and defenses of these positions, are
examined individually in excerpts from the various works Master
Asanga wrote--for didactic purposes--from their viewpoint.  This of
course leads to the Mind-Only interpretation of when the Buddha is
to be interpreted rather than accepted literally.

In the customary progression of a monk's studies, the views of the
highest of the four schools, the Middle-Way or Madhyamika
(Madhyþmika), are at this point briefly covered, as a preliminary
to the upcoming, more detailed course based on "Entering the Middle
Way" (Madhyþmakþvatþra), composed in the 7th Century by Master
Chandrakirti (Candrakþrti).

This concise presentation is again drawn from Je Tsongkapa's work,
which turns here to the Middle-Way school's explanation of the
seeming contradiction of the Buddha's word.  First covered is the
elucidation by the school's founder, Arya Nagarjuna, and then those
of the major proponents of the school's two great divisions, the
Independent (Svþtantrika) and the Implication (Prþsaþgika)
branches.

It is the presentation of the latter branch, covered only very
briefly in Kensur Rinpoche's commentary, which we learn finally is
the true method of interpreting the Buddha.  Things do not really
exist, but this is not to say that they do not exist at all, for we
can see they do.  What we see though is derived from our own
perceptions, forced upon us by our past morality (or lack of it)
and attendant perceptions.  And so things do not really exist the
way we thought they did--by themselves--but rather through us.

If we understand this fact, we are moral, and this ultimately
determines our perceptions, the very nature of the world around us;
it becomes as good as we have been, and suffering is ended, as the
Buddha promised.  And so we see that anything the Teacher ever says
without starting from the denial of true existence is only part of
the facts, simplified for the listener, no ultimate path, only
figurative, something that must be interpreted further.


About the publication

"Notes on the Art of Interpretation" was compiled both from audio
tapes and from written records made by various of Kensur Rinpoche's
students as he delivered teachings on the subject prior to 1979. 
The written transcripts were made by the second Pabongka Rinpoche,
Dechen Nyingpo, and these were carefully preserved over the years
by Geshe Thupten Rinchen of Sera Mey Monastic University.  The
transcripts and tapes were collated and written out by Jador Trulku
Rinpoche from the Hadong College of Sera Jey University, with the
assistance of Tashi Tsetar from Sera Jey's Drati College.

The extensive editing tasks were performed primarily by Kushab
Chuden Rinpoche from the Hlo College of Sera Jey, and some final
proofreading was done by Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, Abbot Emeritus,
from the Gyalrong House of Sera Mey Monastic University, as well as
by his American student Michael Roach, also of Gyalrong.

One thousand copies of this volume have been published under the
direction of Geshe Dorje Tashi, the current abbot of Gyumey Tantric
College and a principal disciple of Kensur Rinpoche.  In response
to Geshe Dorje Tashi's call for support, a group of sponsors led by
Geshe Gendun Sangpo, the Abbot Emeritus of Ganden Jangtse Monastic
University and a member of this university's Lubum College, have
contributed 50,000 Indian rupees towards the publication and
distribution of the work to the monastic community.

A matching grant of 50,000 rupees to complete the printing has been
made by Kensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin.  Rinpoche has also
directed and financed the computer input of the handwritten
manuscript at the Sera Mey Computer Center, and this and the final
book production were carried out by Michael Roach.

The Tibetan introduction to the work states finally that it is
offered with the hope that those future students who read it will
be inspired to good works; that the wishes of Kensur Rinpoche
himself may ever come to their full realization; that his precious
words may be kept in the world; and that his reincarnation, the
Lama Tenzin Wangchuk, may successfully complete his spiritual
studies and continue the great deeds of his past life.